Haute couture is essentially an after-dark affair. The fact that she focuses mostly on daywear has been a point of difference for Bouchra Jarrar from the beginning. On the one hand, it’s an asset. She’s developed a loyal clientele for her beautifully made gilets and trousers. On the other hand, it’s held her back. Jarrar’s are not typically the kind of clothes that end up on the red carpet and, subsequently, on the celebrity pages in magazines. She has little of the name recognition that the stars of Paris couture week enjoy—and profit from.
That might start to change with the collection she showed today. With its languid, 1930s lines and nearly bare back bisected by a gold leather strap, a long dress in bias-cut champagne satin charmeuse was nothing short of breathtaking. Likewise, a midnight blue long dress embroidered on one side of the torso with a rich array of crystals cried out to be worn to a glamorous movie premiere or gala. The stylist who doesn’t put those two at the top of her pull list is falling down on the job.
Jarrar’s focus this season was a general widening of her repertoire. Historically, there’s been a good deal of rigor to her tailoring. While it was as precise as ever today, it also felt loosened up, softer. The first coat out in striped silk was modeled after a man’s robe. She compensated for the boyishness of the trousers she paired it with by skipping a top in favor of a silk bandeau. The boudoir proved a font of ideas. Beneath pleated chiffon skirts, she layered dresses with the cling and the coverage of an old-fashioned girdle. The combination was revealing yet discreet, and paired with one of the densely feathered gilets she calls her “oiseaux,” it was a thoroughly modern idea for either day or night.
—Nicole Phelps
